Trailer hitch



July 3, 1951 P N 2,558,906

TRAILER HITCH Filed April 4, 1950 v INVENTOR. P5 7'53 F A 50/1 BYPatented July 3, 1951 UNI TED GLEF-IiC-EE ITRAILER HI-TGH PeterltlLeon,'-"-"S'ch0oleys" Mountain; N. J.

iApplicatirm April-4, 1950;:LSerial-No.-153-,948

'This invention relates to .trailer hitches and moreparticularly to auniversal jointihitchzfor connecting a trailer, such as a'houseLtrailer;to a towing vehicle, such as an automobile.

"It is among the objects .of .the invention 'to provide a trailer hitchwhichcomprises a minimum number of simple parts and has. reater strengthin proportion to its weight than has heretofore been obtained, which canbe. positively locked in a condition of accurate adjustment to eliminateany play or looseness between theparts and preclude accidentalseparation of the'coupled .parts of the hitch, which is easy tocouple:an'd adjust and touncoupleywhich provides for adequatelubrication of its relatively movable parts,

and which is economical to manufacture and readily attachable to trailertongues and automobile carried bracket of known construction.

Other objectsand advantages'will' become apparent. from a considerationof the following description and the appended claimsin conjunction withthe accompanyingldrawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevational Viewof a trailer hitch illustrative of the invention shown in operativeassociation with a trailer tongue anda bracket adapted to be attached to.a towing vehicle;

Figure 2 is a top plan viewofan enlarged scale of the trailer hitchillustrated in Figure. 1;

Figure '3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view on the line 33 ofFigure 2; and,

Figure 4 is a transverse cross secti''nal view on the line 4-4 of Figure3.

With continued reference .tozthe drawingthe trailer hitch thereinillustrated .comprises, ..in general, a ball bolt [6, a'hollow or femalesocket member H, a plug 'or male solid member l2 and a locking bolt l3.

The ball bolt l has-at one-end a spherical ball-I4 and has adjacenttheballad-annular collar l5 the side of which remote'from the ball providesa shoulder 16. -A-neck Wis included between the ball [4 and. the collarl5 and this bolt'further includes a screwthreaded shank=I-8 at the sideof the collar l5 remote from the ball [4. The shank I8 of the bolt'Illis'passed through a bolt receivinghole in the bracket l9 so that theshoulder 16 rests on the upper surfaceof the bracket surrounding 'thebolt receiving'hole therein and a nut 29 is threaded onto the shank 18below the bracket 19 tofirmly-secure-the ball bolt. to the bracket.

The socket member I l comprises a hollow body having in one end anaperture 2| through which the shank, collar and neck of the ball boltmay be passed and a partly spherical socket or con- Q2 cavity ..22surrounding the aperture 2 I and receiving. the; portion of the ball l4.adjacentthe collar. l5. The ..aperture. II is large :enoughiorthe-collar litopass therethrough and isbevelled at- .its .outer end,as..indicated. .at 13,- towprovide a limited freedom of universalmovement ,of the socketmember l-I relative-to the ball "before the wallof ..theflaperture-ll. contacts the neck. I! (if-the ball bolt. Anannularwall. 24;extends from the end of .the body-l l .in-rwhich theaperture L2l is provided. in surrounding relationship to the concavity.22 and is provided with internal. screw threadsczfi. The outer'surfaceof the-wall 24 is made non-circular,v preferably. hexagonal, was.indicatedcby the dotted lines-in Figure 2, to receive. a wrenchforvrotating thisemember of .Lthe socket. An outwardly extending annularflflange -2-1-iSrp1OYiddiflt the end of the side wall 24 oppositethe-concavity ZZand this flange is provided withia pluralityof-angularly spaced apart-internally. screw threaded apertures 28 .iorthe .:reception-.oftthelocking bolt l3. Inthe-arrangement illustratedthere are twelve apertures -28 spaced apart at substantially equalangularintervals of thirty degrees but the number of theseaperturessmaytbe increased or decreased from the number illustratedwithout in any way" exceedingthe scope of. the invention.

.1 The sSOCket member 12 comprises .anex-ternally screw .threadedplugportionBfl which is threaded into -.the...internal1y screw threaded'wall 24 of .themember ll -and.-has in one end apartly spherical.concavity- 3 I which receives. theportion of: the ball .I.I. remotefromthe collar 15. on .the ball'bolt' l0. .-An.annu1arfiange 32, projectsoutwardly from..the, plug .30.at .the endof the ,plug remote from theconcavity 3 I and this flange '32 is ,provided with a; pluralityofangularly. spaced apart apertures 33. 'Inthe arrangement illustratedthere-are six aperturesfllspaced. around the flange 32 at substantiallyequal. angular intervals of..sixtyf degrees butthe number of theseapertures may also be increased or decreased Without in .any way.exceeding the scope of the invention.

'A .boss"34 of non-circular, preferably hexagonal shape, is, provided.on the. end of the plug.por- 'tioni30 remotelfrom the ..concavity ..3land .-a screwv threaded ..shank.35 extends... outwardly from this bosssubstantially coaxial with .theplugportion.=3fl. .The shank .35..is.receivedinan-aperturepprovidedwnear ithe-endof the trailerltong-ue 3.6.andza nutI.31;is threaded downon theshank 35 to secure the socketmember 12 firmly to the trailer tongue.

In mounting the socket portion 12 on the trailer When the trailer isuncoupled from the towing vehicle the socket portion I2 will be removedfrom the socket portion I I but the socket portion.

II will be in association With the ball bolt Hi.

When it is desired to couple the trailer one or both 4 V the side ofsaid collar opposite said ball, a, first socket member having a boltreceiving aperture in one end and a partly spherical concavitysurrounding said aperture and receiving the portion of said balladjacent said collar, said first socket member also having an internallyscrew threaded annular wall extending from said one end in sur- Irounding relationshipto said concavity and having at its other end anoutwardly extending annular flange provided with a plurality of angu-.ilarly spaced apart apertures, a second socket of the vehicles aremoved until the socket portion 3 I2 can be placed on the ball I4 so thatthe upper part of the ball is received in the cavity 3:. Thesocketmember I I is then raised and threaded upwardly on the plugportion 30 of the socket member I2 until the partly spherical concavity22 in the socket member II is brought into contact with the lowerportion of the ball. A suitable wrench may be applied to the socketmember II,

as explained above, to efiect theproper adjustment between the twosocket members to clamp through these registering holes and threadeddown to a tight condition to positively lock the two socket membersagainst relative rotation.

If desired, the distance between the series of holes in one or both ofthe flanges 21 and 32 may be progressively varied in order to provide afiner adjustment between the two socket members and still have one holein the flange '32 register with one of the holesin the flange 21'.

The'locking bolt I3 has an elongated shank {I and a cylindrical head 42atone end of the shank the head being provided witha transverseaperture. A 'set of screw threads 43 is provided at the other end of theshank and a conical shoulder 44 is provided on the shank at the adjacentside of the head 42. A cross pin 35 extends through the transverseaperture inhead 42 to provide a handle for turning the bolt. When thebolt is inserted through registering apertures in the flanges 32 and 21and threaded down, the conical shoulder 44 will engage in the upper end.of hole or aperture 33 in the flange 32 providing a tight joint betweenthe bolt and this flange.

member having a screw threaded plug portion threaded into the annularwall of said first socket and provided in one end with a partlyspherical concavity receiving the portion of said ball remote fromsaidcollar, said second socket member hav ing at the other end of said plugportion an outwardly extending annular flange provided with a pluralityof angularly spaced apart apertures and ascrew threaded shank extendingfrom said other endof said pl-ug portion substantially coaxial With-thelatter, and a bolt receivable in an aperture in the flange of saidsecond socket member and threadable into a registering aperture in theflange ofsaid first socket member to lock said socket members againstrelative rotation.

.2. A trailer hitch comprising a two part socket and a ball bolt havinga ball end secured in said socket-one of said socket parts comprising ahollow body having a cylindrical inner surface provided with screwthreads and a non-circular outer surface and having a partly sphericalinternal cavity at one end and an aperture extending from said cavitythrough the adjacent end of said body The invention maybe embodied inother spe lcific, forms without departing from the spirit or essentialcharacteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the

,scope of the invention being indicated by the appended'claims ratherthan by the foregoing decription, and all changes which come within themeaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended tobe embraced therein.

What is claimed is: p v

1.A trailer hitch comprising a bolt having a spherical; ball on one end,an annular collar ad'- J'acent said ball and a screw threaded shank atto. receive said ball bolt, and an apertured flange surrounding saidbody at the other end thereof, and the other part of saidsccketcomprising a screw threaded plug threadable into said one part andhaving in one end a partly spherical concavity which constitutes withthe partly spherical concavity in said one part a generally sphericalspace receiving the ball end of said ball bolt, said other socket partalso including an apertured fianges'urrounding the other end of saidplug and a screw threaded shank extending from said other end of theplug substantially coaxial with the plug, at least one of the aperturesinv one of said flanges being in registry with an aperture in the otherof said flanges when said socket members are threaded together to securethe ball end of said ball bolt therebetween, and fastening meansextending through the registering apertures in said flanges toreleasably secure the socket members against relative rotation.

PETER R. LEON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Solomon Mar. 7, 1939 Leighton Aug. 1,1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Number

